Philemon: Fixing Fellowship pt 11
The Gospel is about reconciliation. God being reconciled to humanity through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how often do we think about how this ‘Gospel reconciliation’ impacts our relationships with each other? The apostle Paul challenged his dear friend Philemon to be reconciled to his former slave, Onesimus, who ran away from him. In Paul’s encouragement to Philemon to forgive his former slave, we see an amazing picture of how the Gospel transforms our relationships — especially with those who have wronged us.
18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
Reflection: When we wrong one another, we can be faced with the temptation to hold the wrongdoing over the guilty party as a way of having the upper hand in the relationship. It is sinful attitudes like this that destroy our fellowship. Paul wants Philemon to know that whatever is owed to him, he will cover it so that nothing will stand in the way of Onesimus being welcomed back into the community. It is a radical gesture of grace when we first look at it. But really, in light of what Jesus paid on our behalf – paying the great debt we owed God – it is nothing.
Question: Where might the Holy Spirit be convicting you to let go of something that you are holding onto? Is there someone you need to forgive today?
Prayer: Lord, you saved me by your grace and mercy. As I think of this, may you give me the grace to forgive those who have wronged me. May your Spirit continue to show me my heart and lead me to the cross each day. Amen.
Angus is one of the pastors at Orange Presbyterian Church. He and Steph have three children, a puppy and a veggie garden.
This devotion first appeared in the Bible Society’s Daily Bible Devotions, February 2023
More Reflections.
Often, we build something up so much in our minds, that the experience we want becomes almost unattainable. We romanticise what we think it will be like and we think “If I can just do this one thing or tick this one experience off my bucket list, then I will be able to feel a sense of fulfilment that I wouldn’t necessarily have had otherwise”.